Easy Appetizers for Your Thanksgiving Dinner Part I: Candied Pecans

I’m so excited to announce that I’m officially a Philadelphia homeowner! As my Bubbi would say, I’m building a nest. This year, my nest will host my family for Thanksgiving!

I've already started planning out appetizers. Since people always arrive at different times, I like to have different noshes around the living room and kitchen. I decided to test out this recipe for maple sugar candied nuts from the Nourishing Gourmet[1]. It seemed pretty easy...

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2) Whisk the egg white in a bowl until foamy and no liquid remains. Then stir in the maple sugar and salt.
3) Stir in the nuts until coated with the egg white/sugar mixture.
4) Spread on a greased cookie sheet in an even, single layer.
5) Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

At first, the nuts weren’t quite what I expected. They were soft and not too maple-y. Did I not bake long enough? Was I supposed to use roasted nuts instead of raw? I guess that’s why it’s better to test new recipes before your big party. I covered the tray and left it on the counter overnight.

Then, the next day, I went back for another sample and the nuts tasted delicious! I guess they just needed more time to dry out and absorb all of the flavor.

My point is that before you have all of your family and friends to your holiday dinner, test your recipe. Remember, practice makes perfect (and, it tastes good!)